Good morning... All weekend long, gift items kept arriving on our doorstep. Toiletry packs. Beautiful, reusable bags. Bibles and Scripture cards. A bunch of brown boxes were dropped off by Amazon. Kleenex packs. Nail files and gum. Lotions and lip gloss. Some people left their offerings on our front porch. Fuzzy socks. Colorful journals and pens. Handwritten notes [...]
Good morning... Stuck at the airport, so many people have experienced travel troubles this summer. In solidarity with the mixed-up masses, a friend shared a real story which gently shifts our perspective. ****** "Gate A-4" by Naomi Shihab Nye Wandering around the Albuquerque Airport Terminal, after learning my flight had been delayed four hours, I heard an announcement: [...]
Good morning... This week, we have been considering the three simple rules which will change our world. First we commit to "Do No Harm." In practical ways, what might this look like? I just met a story that helps me understand more clearly the transformational love of God. ****** Transitions by Paula D'Arcy In the 1990s, I heard [...]
Good morning... As I walked the back roads of rural Pennsylvania, flags were everywhere. Red. White. Blue. Everywhere. It dawned on me that something new is created as we melt together the distinct colors of these manmade symbols. Red. White. Blue. Blended, these different shades become purple. I [...]
Good morning... She emailed me after yesterday's post, Imagine Something Better. "So crazy, Sue," she wrote, "my husband and I were having a similar conversation yesterday over coffee after I mentioned a quote I’d recently read that said in previous generations people used to naturally seek and focus on what we have in common with one another, but [...]
Good morning... When a friend from our Friday group sent the quote and image above, we collectively embraced the eternal truth. "Hearts united in pain and sorrow will not be separated by joy and happiness," says Khalil Gibran. "Bonds that are woven in sadness are stronger than the ties of joy and pleasure. Love that is washed by [...]
Good morning... Christmas is big. The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us (John 1:14a, GNT). Easter is huge. We believe that Jesus died and then came to life again (1 Thessalonians 4:14a, NLV). Pentecost is powerful. And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy [...]
Good morning... As our spring semester draws to an end at Northside Church, all of our Bible studies for women channel into one Zoom study for the summer. Here are this year's details. ***** Summer Reading Group 2024 A Longing to Belong: Reflections on Faith, Identity, and Race by Michelle Lee-Barnewall A blend of memoir and theological reflection, [...]
Good morning... As the rains set in yesterday morning, our afternoon plans needed to change. As regular weekly volunteers, we brainstormed indoor activities for our final Monday gathering at PAWkids. Beading. Board games. Musical chairs. Freeze dance. Then came the Program Director's request. "Cookie decorating, maybe?" My happy heart lit up. Since I have a mom who loved [...]
Good morning... In the guiding light of this Passover full moon, we sift through many layers of experience. Tonight my husband Steve and I shared a decade changing birthday celebration with one of the men who went on our Israel 2023 trip. A few people from our group shared in this special evening. The life-changing experience of traveling [...]
